This waffle maker was a gift and we feel a lot safer using it than the old metal square waffle iron. That said, I liked the big square monster, and when we had boys home I needed a waffle iron that would kick out four nice big squares at one time. But now that there are two of us, this waffle iron is fine, and I can live with round ones... I guess... grump, grump.

This waffle maker has no visible metal parts except an access plate for repair on the bottom. The cooking surface is a hard black plastic. It is supposed to be completely non-stick. We’ve found that this isn’t quite true. And if you have a waffle that sticks it’s really only slightly easier to clean this iron than the old metal ones. And you have to use a plastic knife or something so you don’t scratch it. So, I just give the cooking surface a light coating of spray oil each time I start making waffles, and maybe occasionally as I go along if it seems to need it. We sometimes make big batches of waffles and put them in the freezer for later. Each round is divided into quarters by the design of the grid, so you can easily serve an entire waffle or separate it into smaller pieces.

The outside of the waffle maker does not get hot, so I am much less likely to get burned than I used to be on waffle days!

The lid does not fall all the way open, but cannot open farther than a 90 degree angle to the counter top. This is nice. My old waffle maker required a space large enough to open completely flat.

There is no on / off switch. Once you plug it in it’s on. There is a red indicator light on top to tell you when the heating element is on. When it turns off the iron is hot and ready for batter. You have to watch the sides to see when it stops steaming to judge when the waffle is done. I don’t know if some modern waffle irons have improved on this method, but it’s how I’ve always gauged the cooking time for waffles, so it works for me.